Apparatus for holding stone for facing



April 23, 1963 .J` A. KRANAK 3,086,510

APPARATUS FOR HOLDING STONE FOR FACING Filed March 15, 1961 HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 43,086,510 APPARATUS FOR HOLDING STONEFOR FACING .lohn A. Kranak, R.D. 1, Hanlin Station, Pa. Filed Mar. 15,19671, Ser. No. 95,867 3 Claims. (Cl. 12S-35) This invention relatesto.a 4stone facing apparatus, more particularly to `a novel means forholding semi-precious stone to Ifacilitate facing 'the stone.

The facing of stone for interior or exterior decoration of buildings hasbeen an art limited to skilled stone masons. The generally `acceptedmethod of facing stone Itoday is a free-hand method wherein a skilledmason places the stone to be faced on a .table and scribes a line on thestone using a straight edge. Using the line as `a guide, the mason facesthe stone with .a regular masons chisel .and hammer. This method is notonly time-consuming but isinaccurate even when practiced by a skilledstone mason. Frequently the faced stone does not have the front edges inthe same vertical plane when faced by .the free-'hand method. Smalldeviations of this character `are not noticeable -to the eye whenlooking at each stone individually, but when a group of stones are laid,.the finished wall may be noticeably out of line.

My invention provides a device which enables unskilled workers and evenpeople deprived of sight to face stone more accurately than heretoforepossible even by a skill-ed :mason using the free-hand method.Essentially, it consists of la pair of lVice members between which thestone to be vfaced is held. The outer edges of the vice members arepositioned in the same vertical plane. The edges :are straight, therebyproviding a guide line for the mason. .'Ihe vice members are rotatableto enable the mason `to readily face both along the top and bottomedges.

In the drawings I have shown the presently preferred embodiment of myinvention in which:

yFIGURE yl is a front elevation -of my stone facing appara-tus;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of .my invention;

FIGURE 3 is a yfront elevation of my device on a reduced scale showing`the device being rotated; and

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the device `after therotation is completed land the stone is in position to complete thefacing operations.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown my stone facing device attachedto -a table 10. My device includes a pair of 'vice or 4holding members.12 and 14. These members are preferably angle irons, each having abearing side, 1-6 and l18 respectively, and a support side, 20 and 22,which is `at right angles to the bearing side. The two bearing sides areat 4and 4are positioned in planes parallel .to each other with the outeredges thereof, 24 and 26, being s-traight and terminating in =the samevertlcal plane.

The members are held in the proper position by pilot pins 28 whichtravel through bosses 30 located at each end of the bearing sides of theangle irons. A plurality of holes through the lower portion of thebosses and a matching hole through lthe pilot pins provide a means foradjusting the device to hold `stones of various thicknesses. Keeper pins32 pass through these holes and hold the pilot pins in position. Forthick stones, the pins 32 pass -through holes in the bosses which areclose to the bearing side of the vice member. For facing thin stones,the pins pass through holes rat a distance from the vice member.

The apparatus is -fastened to the table by means of two additional angleirons. IClip angle 34 is fastened to Aeach other.

ice

vice member r14 by .any suitable .means such Vas welding. The secondAangle iron 36 has one leg fastened to the clip angle 34 vby -pivot bolt38 and the .other leg fastened to table 1-0.

A'clip angle 40 is also fastened, generally welded, to vice member 12.One leg of-clip angle I40 and one leg of clip angle 34 'are in planessubstantially parallel 'to A threaded 'bolt 42. Vextends `through theopenings in the parallel legs. A wing nut 44 is .fastened to the bolt.By tightening wing nut 44 the distance between the bearing sides ofmembers 12 and 14 may be reduced. In this manner a stone l45 positionedbetween thebearing sides may be held firmly in position. Stops 47fastened to vice member .14 cooperate with a portion of clip angle y40`which extends below the support side 20 of member 12 to position .thestone 45 between members 12 .and -14 to the correct depth.

A coil spring 46 is placed around bolt 42 between clip irons 34 and 40.Coil springs 48 tit around pilot pins 28 between the vice members .12Iand l14. These springs cooperate to completely release the vice membersfrom the stone when the wing nut is loosened.

In operation, the stone to be faced is placed between the vice members:12 and .14 .and wing nut -44 tightened -to hold the stone. The outeredges of the vice members dene the lines on which the mason will facethe stone. The stone mason with a chisel faces the stone .along -theupper face using the edge of the upper vice member aas 4a guide line.After this is completed, the bolt 38 is loosened and the device rotated180 (as shown in FIGURES 3 .and 4), thereby putting the unyfaced edge atthe top where it is readily `accessible to the mason. The mason -thenfaces the other side using the other edge of the vice member as a guideline. After the stone is completely faced, the device is returned to its`original position (with the wing-nut up) .and wing nut 44 loosened.Springs 46 and 48 will make sure that the stone is completely releasedfrom the vice action .and the stone may be readily removed.

While I have described the presently preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that it may be otherwise embodiedwithin the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

d. Apparatus for holding s-tone while facing the stone, said apparatuscomprising: a pair of angle irons, each iron having .a flat bearing sidehaving a straight edge, means for holding said irons in operativerelationship wherein the bearing sides :are disposed opposite to andparallel with each other .and the straight edges of the irons are in thesame vertical plane, means yfor increasing and decreasing the distancebetween the bearing sides of the irons, and means for rotating the ironsdegrees said las-t mentioned means being attached to the edge of one ofsaid angle irons which is opposite the straight edge thereof so tha-tsaid straight edge is unobstructed in order to provide ready access tothe stone.

2. Apparatus for holding stone while facing the same, said apparatuscomprising: .a pair `of angle irons, each angle iron having a flatbearing side terminating in a straight edge, a pair yof pilot pinspassing through opposed ends of lthe angle irons, said pins holding thestraight edges of .the angle irons in the same vertical plane, supportmembers attached to each angle iron, said support members holding thebearing surfaces of said angle iron parallel to each other, means forincreasing and decreasing the distance between the bearing surfaces ofthe 'angle irons; .and means for rotating said angle irons at least 180degrees.

3. Apparatus for holding and positioning stone while facing the stone,said apparatus comprising: a pair of vice members, each member having aHat bearing side terminating in a straight edge, a pair of pilot pinspassing through opposed ends of the angle irons, said pins holding thestraight edges of the angle irons in the same vertical plane, supportmembers attached to each angle iron, said support members holding thebearing surfaces of said angle iron parallel to each other, stops axedto one of the vice members to position a stone between the vice members,means for increasing and decreasing -the distance between ythe bearingsurfaces of the angle irons; and means for rotating said angle irons atleast 180 degrees.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS McBeeAug. 1, Root May 18, Jenkins Feb. 6, Abegg Aug. 11, Zeun Apr. 5,Heinrich Nov. 7, Marshall Mar. 4, Sasgen July 13, Van -Hoose July 9,Arvay Ian. 6,

1. APPARATUS FOR HOLDING STONE WHILE FACING THE STONE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A PAIR OF ANGLE IRONS, EACH IRON HAVING A FLAT BEARING SIDE HAVING A STRAIGHT EDGE, MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID IRONS IN OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP WHEREIN THE BEARING SIDES ARE DISPOSED OPPOSITE TO AND PARALLEL WITH EACH OTHER AND THE STRAIGHT EDGES OF THE IRONS ARE IN THE SAME VERTICAL PLANE, MEANS FOR INCREASING AND DECREASING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE BEARING SIDES OF THE IRONS, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING THE IRONS 180 DEGREES SAID LAST MENTIONED MEANS BEING ATTACHED TO THE EDGE OF ONE OF SAID ANGLE IRONS WHICH IS OPPOSITE THE STRAIGHT EDGE THEREOF SO THAT SAID STRAIGHT EDGE IS UNOBSTRUCTED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE READY ACCESS TO THE STONE. 